This invention relates to make-up brushes, and more particularly to disposable make-up brushes, their components, methods of making them and methods of using them.
It is known to provide for replacement of brush heads in make-up brushes. The prior art cosmetic brushes with replaceable heads include a screw attachment fixture to connect the stem to the head. One of the brush head and stem or an attachment to the brush head and stem includes an extending bolt with external threads and the other a hole with internal threads so the two may be threaded together. An example of the prior art cosmetic brushes with a replaceable head is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,903.
The prior art disposable-head cosmetic brushes have several disadvantages, such as: (1) the handle and brush head can only be separated by holding the brush head with one hand and handle with the other in such a position that the bristles of the brush head may cause powder or the like to drop onto or be otherwise deposited onto the user during the removal process; and (2) the action of threading or unthreading the brush head from the handle is relatively slow and tedious and done in a position which could cause cosmetic powders on the head to be inadvertently spread to other surfaces.
It is also known to provide replaceable heads on other non-cosmetic utilitarian devices such as paint brushes or toilet cleaning brushes. In the prior art devices, a replaceable head is insertable into a handle or over the handle. In one type of prior art utilitarian device, the handle and head are held together by members that extend radially from one of the brush head or handle into the other of the brush head or handle to hold the two together. Examples of this type of prior art are shown in the paint brush disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,685 and the unidentified brush of the design patent DES. No. 435,695.
The prior art paint brushes or unidentified brushes of this type have a disadvantage of requiring substantial manipulation to enable the radially extending member to be properly insertable into the external member. At best, this connection is not firm because of the difficulty of exerting substantial force radially outwardly into a tightly gripped opening so that for easy insertion, the connections are typically wobbly.
Another type of prior art non-cosmetic utilitarian brush such as a toilet cleaning brush, the replaceable head is held by friction between an external mounting cylindrical sleeve on the head and an inner cylinder on the handle. An actuator at the end of the brush is depressed to release the head. The actuator pushes an external sleeve that is part of the head from the cylinder on the handle to release the head. In embodiments of this type of prior art non-cosmetic utilitarian brush, in addition to a cylindrical sleeve mounting the head by friction against a cylinder on the handle, there is a ball-and-opening detent holding the head to the handle. This prior art type of non-cosmetic utilitarian brush is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,287,295 and 6,745,427.
This type of prior art non-cosmetic utilitarian brush has several disadvantages such as for example: (1) they are not symmetrical but have a handle bent to enable access to difficult places to clean; (2) substantial force is needed to remove the head because of the large frictional area of the sleeve holding the head to the handle and the location of this force at a substantial distance from the center of the structure; and (3) under some circumstances, such as very small brushes, it is unsightly and not easy to use.
Snap-on fasteners are known having a spring formed by an enlarged portion that fits through an opening by changing the dimensions of a spring member and is held by the return of the spring member to its normal dimensions. The prior art snap-on fastener of this type includes an enlarged portion with slots in it extending by an elongated step from a first flat member that is forced through an opening smaller than the enlarged opening in a second flat member. The first and second flat members are separated by a long stem and a fastener on both sides of the second flat member to hold the stem in place and the two flat members do not form a secure wobble free socket suitable for a brush head. One such snap-on fastener is disclosed in connection with FIG. 26 and lines 33 to 50, column 22 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,318. This type of snap fastener has not been taught for use in brush holders and has the disadvantage of not providing a support surface to hold the brush from wobbling.